The ANC on Wednesday praised those who fought to keep open 17 schools in the Western Cape, despite the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) confirming the closure of all but one of them.

“The ANC praises all who put up a brave fight against the arbitrary closure of Western Cape schools, including NGOs like Save Our Schools , the SA Democratic Teachers’ Union, and the legal team led by advocate Norman Arendse,” African National Congress Western Cape leader Marius Fransman said in a statement.

“All who fought gallantly were vindicated, including the correctness of the communities and the ANC who said no when the DA wanted to close them down.”

The SCA ordered that Beauvallon Senior Secondary School remain open.

On Tuesday, Judge Eric Leach said in his judgment that the education MEC had the power under the Schools Act to close the schools.

“Hard choices had to be made, and the fact that in the exercise of his function he closed a school whose circumstances may have been similar to another school that was not closed does not, in itself, establish irrationality,” he was quoted in the Business Day as saying.

Last year, the Western Cape High Court overturned former MEC Donald Grant’s decision to close 17 Western Cape schools. The court set aside Grant’s decision made in October 2012, to go into effect from December 31.

Grant was granted leave to appeal against the high court decision. SAPA